Nickname: Rod
Position: 1B, 2B
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Number: 29
Years Played as an Angel: 1979-1985
Angels’ Stats: .314 BA, 474 R, 82 SB, 282 RBI
Career Stats: .328 BA, 1424 R, 353 SB, 1015 RBI
How He Was Acquired: Traded by the Minnesota Twins to the Angels on Feb. 3, 1979.
Why You Should Know Him: Before the 1979 season, the Angels made one of the biggest moves in their history when they traded Dave Engle, Paul Hartzell, Brad Havens and Ken Landreaux to Minnesota for perennial All-Star Rod Carew.
Carew immediately made his presence felt, hitting .318 and scoring 78 runs in helping the Angels win their first American League West crown in 1979. He put together his best all-around Angels season in 1980, when he posted a .331 BA, collected 59 RBI and stole 23 bases.
When the Angels won their second AL West title in 1982, Carew made his usual stellar contributions. He led the Halos with a .319 BA, which ranked third in the league. Carew also put together a 25-game hitting streak, the longest of his career.
In his seven seasons in an Angel uniform, Carew earned All-Star honors six times. He retired after the 1985 season, finishing his great career with 3,053 hits.
Carew enjoyed his best big league years with the Minnesota Twins, who originally signed him as an amateur free agent in 1964. He made his major league debut with the Twins in 1967 and made an instant impact, winning AL Rookie of the Year honors.
It was the first of many impressive seasons for Carew, who went on to win seven batting titles with the Twins. He turned in his best season in 1977, when he led the AL in BA (.388), runs (128) and hits (239). Carew captured the AL Most Valuable Player award that season. He also won the 1977 Roberto Clemente Award.
Carew earned All-Star honors in each of his 12 seasons in Minnesota. His #29 is retired by both the Twins and Angels. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991, which was his first year of eligibility.
Memorable moments/games: On Aug. 4, 1985, Carew collected his 3,000th career hit against the Minnesota Twins, his former club. He accomplished the feat against Twins pitcher Frank Viola at Anaheim Stadium.
Anecdotes and Quotes: “Hitting is an art, but not an exact science.” – Rod Carew.
Rod Carew was my favorite Angels player during my early 1980s childhood. When I played pick-up baseball with my cousins and friends during that time, I would always pretend I was Carew.
I experienced an unexpected thrill after attending the Angels’ second home game of the 2009 season. While walking our way out of the stadium, my mother and I saw Carew in person. He was standing in front of the team store, surrounded by fans. Though we did not get a chance to interact with Carew, seeing him from up close was an exciting moment for me.
Where is he now?: Fans can find out about Carew’s current endeavors by visiting his official Web site, www.rodcarew29.com.
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